Daddy's Love
by A11y50n
Summary: Walter's daughter, Ella, believes her daddy doesn't love her because she's not 'smart'.
1. Chapter 1

Daddy's Love

Daniella was walking home with her bestest big brother ever, granted her only big brother but still. She also had a younger brother Nathan. The closer they got to home the more nervous she got. Her hands became sweaty and she was squeezing Ralph's hand. Ralph had no idea what was going on with his sister but she was not her usual happy self!

They reached home and went to say hi to the rest of the team. Ralph noticed that she seemed relieved that their dad wasn't there. They walked up to the loft and their mom was making them a snack. Ralph and Daniella dumped their bags by the table and sat down. Ralph was halfway through his sandwich when he realised that Ella hadn't touched hers. This was strange as she had a healthy appetite and could eat more than him. Mom and son looked at each other and then back at Ella who was now crying, they both went to her side.

"Honey, what's wrong? Did you hurt yourself?" Paige asked

Ella shook her head.

"Do you feel sick?" Ralph asked

Again, Ella shook her head.

Paige picked her up and sat down with her on her lap.

"Sweetheart tell me what's wrong."

"Daddy won't love me anymore."

"Honey, your daddy loves, you, Ralph and Nathan more than anything. Of course he loves you!"

"He won't when he finds out."

"Finds out what?"

"I'm not like everyone else, I'm not smart!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I only got 7 out of 10 on my spelling test and now daddy's going to hate me!"

"What makes you think that?"

"Last week Daddy was mad at Ralph when he got a B in his Science test!"

"Ella he wasn't mad that I got a B, he was mad at the fact that I was lazy and assumed I would automatically get an A. I was too busy coding my new game, that's why he was mad. He doesn't mind what grades we get as long as we put the effort in. Honestly, he still loves you!" Ralph said

"What's going on? Ella why are you crying?" Walter asked as he entered with Nathan on his hip.

Paige gave him a look.

"Cabe had to leave."

Nathan loved his grandpa and stayed with him at every opportunity. Whenever Cabe was around they wouldn't see Nathan until it was his bedtime. Paige and Walter swapped the kids they were holding and Ella just cried into his shirt. He kissed her head and eventually she quietened down.

"Ella, what's the matter?"

She got off of her daddy's lap and went to her backpack and pulled out her test and showed it to him. He looked at it and had a wide smile on his face.

"Congratulations, you did so well! You should be so proud! Why all the tears?"

"I didn't get them all right so now you don't love me because I'm not clever like everyone else!"

Walter picked her up again, took her to the sofa and held her tight.

"Of course I love you! There is nothing you, Ralph, Nathan or your mom could do to stop me from loving you!"

"But I'm not smart!"

"Yes you are, just in a different way. You can tell by looking at someone if they are happy, sad or angry. That is a special gift. You know exactly when I need a hug. You give the best hugs ever. Everyone is special in their own way. If we were all the same then it would be boring. Your mom and I are different but we love each other so much."

They knew that Ella was the 'odd one out' and that caused some anxiety for Walter.

" _Supposing I can't help her because I don't understand her?"_

" _Walter you helped me with Ralph and I'll help you with Ella. You already love her, you'll have to realise that she may not be a Math wizard. You'll help her with her homework and you won't get frustrated at all. You'll be fine."_

Ella snuggled up to Walter and Paige was remembering how that Ella was always the happiest in her daddy's arms.

 _Walter was great at getting up for the night time feed. In fact he loved the whole time she was pregnant. He was a surprise in the delivery room; he sat behind her and held her up. She knew that he wanted to be anywhere but there because he didn't want to see her in pain and not to mention the blood. She thought it was mainly due to the fact that he did so much research on what could go wrong that he was a little freaked out. From the moment Daniella came home, Ella to Ralph and then everyone else, she was a daddy's girl. She would always quieten down more quickly for him. They realised early on that she really liked to be on Walter's chest, the skin to skin contact seemed to calm her down. It became so ingrained in all of them that as soon as Walter would enter the loft the first thing he would do would be to take his shirt off and hold his daughter then he would kiss Paige and ruffle Ralph's hair while helping him with his homework. Paige loved watching Walter with Ella especially when she was asleep on his chest; she couldn't help it and took several photos. Walter was concerned that Ralph would feel left out because of his new sister so he made sure he spent one-to one time with him every couple of weeks. Ralph knew he was loved and he loved his baby sister but he did like the time with Walter only._

 _Walter was as guest lecturer at a college and Ella would not stop crying, the others could hear her from downstairs. They then saw Paige coming down with their niece or in Cabe's case, granddaughter._

" _Ralph honey, take your t-shirt off!"_

 _Ralph looked at his mom and realised what he was doing so he did as she asked and followed her to the sofa where she put Ella into his arms. She quietened down for a few minutes before she started to cry again. Paige was tired she hadn't slept in ages because Ella was really fussy that day for some reason. She turned to the other members of the team._

" _RIGHT, the rest of you take your shirts off NOW!"_

" _What?! Why?" Toby asked_

" _WHY? WHY? Well it's not my fault that my daughter is a daddy's girl through and through and can only fall asleep in her daddy's arms but he's not here you are, Ralph tried but maybe she can sense that he's not an adult yet!"_

" _Erm maybe we should wait a while?" Sylvester asked_

" _Look either you take your shirts off or I'll take them off for you, you do not want to mess with a very tired new mother do you understand?"_

 _Cabe, Toby and Sylvester nodded their heads and began to take their shirts off._

" _QUICKER!"_

 _They hurried because this side of Paige was scary, Cabe didn't think a gun would help him against Paige._

 _Once the shirts were off she gave first Toby Ella to hold and like with Ralph she was quiet for a few minutes before starting to cry, this happened with Sylvester and Cabe as well. When Ella was with Cabe they heard the door open and there was Walter just stood in the doorway transfixed by the sight he was seeing, all the male members of the team were for some reason shirtless including Ralph. The next thing he knew he was being pulled to the sofa by his wife and unceremoniously shoved to sit down and he couldn't believe it but she ripped open his shirt right there and then, he could tell she was slightly frazzled, he watched as she went to collect Ella from Cabe and brought her to him and he realised the situation and as soon as he placed his daughter against his chest she fell asleep much to the astonishment of the rest of the team. Paige sat next to him and kissed Ella's head._

" _I love you but you're not moving from here a couple of hours she needs her sleep!"_

 _True to her words Walter stayed on the sofa for two hours, he read a story to Ralph who sat on his other side while Paige also fell asleep on him, both mother and daughter were tired, Cabe brought him a sandwich to eat which he did one handed. Ella began to whimper and everyone froze but she settled down after a few seconds. Eventually the O'Brien family were all asleep. Cabe took a picture, it would turn out to be a favourite of the whole family's for years to come._

Paige looked to the photo and then to her family, Walter was sitting on the sofa with Ella in his arms Nathan had managed to get to the sofa and was snuggling up to his daddy's side and then there was Ralph who was 'too old' to hug but he did like being close to them so he would sit on the floor leaning against the sofa so he could be in close contact with Walter and or her. She went to join her family on the sofa, Nathan crawled into her lap and both she and Walter decided to ruffle Ralph's hair at the same time and their hands met and they smiled at each other.


	2. Chapter 2

Prom

Ralph went to sit beside his dad. He waited patiently until Walter noticed him; he was so focussed that it would take him a few minutes. Ralph started to clean the tools on the work bench to pass the time.

"Oh hi Ralph. Are you okay?"

"Can I talk to you for a few minutes?"

"Of course."

Walter put the equipment in his hands on the bench so he could pay full attention to his son.

"You know what happens at prom?"

"Well, you dress up, you got your tux last week, you dance, we all helped you with that, you asked Sloan to be your date which is inspired, you're going to buy her corsage the night before and you and your friends are taking your mom's car. Have I forgotten anything?"

"Erm, yes."

"What?"

"You know…"

Walter gave him a puzzled look.

"Ralph I think you sometimes forget that I was born and raised in Ireland, we don't have prom, it's a totally American rite of passage!"

"Oh year, I forgot."

"Ralph what's on your mind?"

Ralph took a huge breath and let it out and placed an envelope he was carrying onto the bench.

"That's from your dad."

 _Walter remembered a conversation_

" _Walter, do you think my dad loves me?"_

 _Walter looked up from his sandwich to see Ralph just staring at him and not eating._

" _Of course he does. Why do you ask?"_

" _Well, I know he tries but we don't seem to be able to connect and I thought he may not love me."_

" _Ralph the fact that he tries shows you how much he loves you. He comes to see you whenever he has time off and if he can't make it out here you go to him. I thought you loved spending time with him?"_

" _I do but sometimes I feel he's bored."_

" _Why do you say that?"_

" _He always falls asleep at the lectures…"_

" _Yes but he takes you because he knows you will love it."_

" _So should I go to more baseball games with him?"_

" _Well you could or why don't you make a list of things that you would like to do with him that both of you can enjoy?"_

" _Thanks Walter."_

" _You're welcome, just remember your dad loves you no matter what."_

" _Why did he leave?"_

" _Maybe you should ask him but I don't think it had anything to do with you."_

Ralph nodded his head.

"Do you want me to look inside?"

Again Ralph nodded.

Walter took the small package and looked inside. He was surprised by what he saw. He looked to Ralph.

"So I take it this is another right-of-passage?"

"Apparently."

"He wants you to be safe."

"I get that but still it's an awkward 'gift' to receive. I mean if you or the others bought it for me then it would be different maybe because we've talked about it several times, in fact each of you have, but from my dad who has never mentioned it at all it just seems weird."

"He loves you, you know that. So are you thinking about having sex with Sloan?"

"How old were you your first time?"

"I was 23."

"What made you change your mind?"

"I was curious. I wanted to see what was so special."

"Aren't our hands more efficient?"

"From a 'mechanical' point of view, yes, however you know the biological reason for sex?"

"Of course for procreation."

"So are you thinking of making me and your mom grandparents?"

"No, of course not but supposing Sloan is expecting it? I'm not ready for it. I don't know if I will ever be."

"Well first you need to speak to her. I didn't know this is what happens on prom but just because some people choose to become intimate doesn't mean you have to. Maybe Sloan is worried about the same thing you are."

"I suppose."

"Talk to her!"

"I will…Dad do you think I'll ever want to be intimate with someone?"

"I don't know."

"How did you know?"

"I told you I was curious. I wanted to know what was so good about it."

"Do you regret it?"

"No. It was with a friend and we both wanted to see what the fuss was about. Did I like it, not really. It wasn't horrible but it was awkward and it didn't feel right. I thought it was me. How do you improve results of an experiment?"

"You increase the number of trials."

"Exactly, I tried with a couple more partners but this time I tried it when I was involved with someone instead of being friends."

"Were the results more favourable?"

"Only marginally."

"What changed?"

"What do you think?"

"You met us."

"Yes. I met you and your mother."

"So with mom…not that I want details or anything…"

"Oh are you sure? I was going to get the recordings out so you could have the visuals…"

"EUWWWWWWWW DAAAAAAAAAAAD! TMI!"

"I'm joking. Trust me there are no videos and even if there was there is no way you or anyone else would see them!"

"Thank goodness because I really don't want to be scarred for the rest of my life!"

Walter smirked.

"With your mother it was the first time I understood the need for physical contact. With the right person it is phenomenal!"

"I want to be able to feel that. I'm concerned that I may never…"

"Your first time may not be perfect, in fact I would expect it to be awkward, embarrassing and anti-climactic but as long as you're with someone who you care for who you trust then it will be a worthwhile experience when you choose to. When you find the right person you will understand. Remember I wasn't looking for your mother or you but you two became part of our family then we three became a family within the family."

"Thanks dad!"

Ralph stayed by his dad and continued to clean the tools. Neither of them was aware that the rest of the team, including Paige, had listened to the whole exchange.


End file.
